The present invention relates to a portable security device and, in particular, to a combined lock and alarm system for bicycles and the like.
It should be mentioned that the present invention is described here with respect to cycles such as bicycles and motor-driven cycles and the like. However, as will be readily apparent from the description and claims, the invention is applicable in general to secure and protect essentially any type of movable object to which it can be attached.
Locking devices are available for physically securing a protected object such as a bicycle to an immovable object. For example, bicycles and motorcycles can be secured by a locking chain to posts or bicycle racks or other immovable objects. In addition, there exist alarms which can be attached to a device and which are actuated, for example, by movement of the device. However, neither locking devices nor alarms provide adequate security against theft when used alone. The chain locking devices can be cut or broken and the protected object removed without any alarm being raised, whereas an alarm system alone does not provide sufficient deterrent to stop a would-be thief from simply removing the object.
As is apparent from the above discussion, it is desirable to have a security system which combines the features of physical locking restraints and alarms. It is, accordingly, a primary object of the present invention to provide such a combination security system.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a combined locking and alarm device or system which is compact and of light weight and whose alarm function is armed by the act of locking the device in place and set off if the lock is broken.